All the foods facing major changes under RFK Jr's MAHA plan
The Make American Healthy Again initiative, headed up by US Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F Kennedy Jr, is well underway under the second Trump administration.
Broadly aimed at reducing obesity levels and the rate of chronic illnesses and cancers within the population, a host of reforms have been announced that increase the scrutiny placed on food additives, reshape federal health and dietary guidelines, and bring regulations closer to those seen in places like the EU and UK.
RFK Jr has also taken aim at food additives as a potential cause for ADHD, autism, and developmental issues.
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As such, plenty of American foods are set for major changes as various initiatives come into law.
For one, RFK Jr, along with Agriculture Secretary Brook Rollins, and Food and Drug Commissioner Marty Makary shared that a number of US ice cream manufacturers have agreed to stop using synthetic dyes in their products. The announcement, made on 14 July 2025, covers around 40 different ice cream brands under the International Dairy Foods Association.
This commitment means that over 90% of the ice cream sold in the US will be free of certified of artificial colours. Dyes to be removed from manufacturing processes include the not-so-tastily-named Red 3, Red 40, Green 3, Blue 1, Blue 2, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6.
“President Donald J. Trump took office promising to confront the chronic health crisis plaguing Americans - and six months later, he is delivering on that promise by removing harmful chemicals from our food supply,” said the White House said in a statement.
It’s not just ice cream that’s set to change, of course. On 30 June, US chocolate manufacturer Hershey pledged to remove synthetic dyes from products including Reese’s Pieces, Twizzlers, and Jolly Ranchers before 2028.
Kraft Heinz similarly announced on 17 June that it will cut all artificial dyes from its food processes by the end of 2027, and added that it won’t introduce any new products featuring them.
Nestlé, meanwhile, announced it would ‘fully eliminate’ artificial colours from its range by mid-2026, and Smuckers said would remove artifical colours from its Twinkies, Sno Balls and Little Debbie products before 2028.
Finally, Sam’s Club said on 5 June that it would remove more than 40 artificial ingredients and sweeteners from its brands to bring it in line with the government’s new expectations.
“We are asking, as an administration, American food companies to remove these petroleum-based food chemicals and replace them with natural ingredients for American kids, just as they have already done for kids in Europe and Canada,” said Makary.
“That’s a pretty simple request. And remember: Democrat, independent, Republican moms came out and voted for President Trump on this very issue, so we’re delivering on it.”
These far-reaching changes will have a big impact across almost all foods classified as ultra-processed, and it's likely we'll see many similar announcements from the food industry in the coming months.
Rachael Davis